Struggling Opel Gained Market Share in 2013, Thanks to Adam

GM’s sick child of Europe, Opel, finally had a successful year in 2013, gaining market share in the economically-crippled European market. The stylish, highly-customizable Opel Adam played a strong role in the company’s recovery.

Opel has struggled in recent years to retain market share in the region, suffering from management disruption and a scarcity of new products. But in 2013, it saw its market share in home market Germany rise by 0.1 percent to 7 percent, while — together with sister brand Vauxhall — its overall share in Europe jumped from 5.59 to 5.61 percent. Tiny increases in both cases, but a big step in the right direction for a company that bled $1.8 billion in 2012 alone.

“Our model offensive is now beginning to bear fruit. At Opel, the course is set for further growth”, said Opel Board director for Sales Peter Christian Küspert in a press statement.

The Adam’s performance during the year is noteworthy, beating sales expectations by some 21,000 units. The Opel Mokka subcompact crossover also fared well, selling around 20,000 units in Germany alone.

Opel has a lot to be proud of, but 2013 is just one year. It will be its performance in the next few year that will tell if its truly out of the woods.

Buyers can choose from five exterior paint colors — Black, Bronzo Metallizato bronze, Bianco white, Grigio Scuro gray, and Verde Bosco green — four of which can be matched with a black contrasting roof.

Inside, the dashboard dons a copper 500 logo and the seats are upholstered in black leather with copper contrast stitching.

Power for the 500L Trekking comes exclusively from a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 160 horsepower (119 kilowatts) and 184 pound-feet (250 Newton-meters) of torque, transmitted to the wheels by a six-speed automatic transmission.

The 500L has struggled to find success in the United States. Last year, Fiat delivered just 1,413 units in all of 2018, representing a 15 percent drop from the volume in 2017.

Deliveries of the Fiat 500L Urbana Edition begin in spring 2019, with pricing starting at $23,920. Have you been enticed to get one?

Toyota Kills The Prius C, Replaces It With Corolla Hybrid

Buyers are encouraged to go for the new Corolla Hybrid instead.

Now that there is a hybrid version of the popular Corolla, Toyota figures it has one too many small hybrid vehicles in its lineup. It has quietly killed off the Prius C hybrid to give more breathing room for both the regular Prius and Corolla hybrid.

The Prius C debuted in 2011 as a smaller alternative to the Prius Liftback, but the Corolla Hybrid is bigger and more efficient, matching the standard Prius’s 52-mpg combined rating in the United States compared to the Prius C’s 46-mpg combined rating.

“You’re probably not going to see Prius C for long,” Toyota marketing vice president Ed Laukes told . “The Prius C has served its purpose well.”

The fuel-sipping Corolla is intended to maximize sales of Toyota’s hybrid powertrain platform by appealing to a broader group of customers who may be put off by the Prius’ polarizing looks but still want extremely good fuel efficiency.

New, 2020 Kia Soul EV Has 243 Mile (391 Km) Driving Range

Kia’s quirky crossover joins the high-range electric vehicle group.

The EPA has given the 2020 Kia Soul EV a driving range of up to 243 miles (391 km) on a single charge, placing it in the same class as the Chevrolet Bolt, Tesla Model 3, Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro EV and Nissan LEAF e+, all of which get over 200 miles (322 km).

In fact, the Soul EV uses the same 64 kWh battery pack as the Kona Electric and Niro. Power is provided by an electric motor that generates 201-horsepower and 291 lb-ft. of torque and can be modulated with four driving modes: Eco, Comfort, Sport and Eco+, which automatically adjust power output, regenerative braking, climate control settings, and set speed limits to help manage overall efficiency.

Similar to the Niro and Kona EVs, it will charge at around 100kW for at least the first 50 percent of charge. A DC Fast Charge port comes standard.